Royal Enfield Himalayanists

Anyone got one or had one?

Man, I’m developing a bad hankering for one.

I’ve been following Itchy Boots on YouTube and she’s ridden hers all over the world, as have many other riders.

I’ve always had ‘Street’ bikes, barring an old DT175 I had back in the day and at the moment I’ve got a nice Gsx750 Inazuma from 2000 and it really is a great bike. Always goes and it’s cheapish fun.

It’s always been my intention to customise it, building one off bodywork etc, but the reality is, I like playing out too much to get around to it(don’t have a garage either)

However, every time I’m out on it, I start looking longingly at the rolling hills, dirt tracks and trails going off and feel like I’m just rolling along stuck in traffic. I hate being confined to roads.

It makes me appreciate my MTB more as what I like the most about mtb is the ability to get away from roads and cars and into the countryside.

I have a big birthday coming up 😭 but hey, that’s an excuse to buy something you don’t really need right?

I have considered selling my ebike to fund it as I just don’t ride it enough over riding my hardtail neeb, but I guess that would close off a lot of great riding with good friends on eebs, so I would have to sell the Gsx.

The Gsx is about 85bhp and the Himalayan is only 24bhp.
750cc over 411cc. Would I totally miss that!?

Completely different bike I know and the Himalayan isn’t really comparable in that way but I wonder if the enjoyable bimbling nature and potential to do some mellow off road would trump that lovely power when twisting the throttle on the Gsx… 🤔

I know that there is very little off road potential in the UK for motorbikes but there are a few unclassified roads here and there plus the ability to load up and tour a bit really appeals.

The Gsx is terrible in that respect. I get massively uncomfortable after about 30 minutes and of course it’s NOT an off road bike. The Himalayan looks like it would be much better in that respect.

Anyway, excuse the rambling. Someone please tell me the Himalayan is a terrible bike and a terrible idea!

Anyway, someone please tell me the Himalayan is a terrible bike and a terrible idea!

One went past me the other day and it certainly looked very nice. What was Noraly’s conclusion, looks like she had a couple of them. Power to weight would be my concern, 24bhp is going to struggle pulling a rider and luggage around I would have thought. I’d certainly book a test ride before anything else.

24bhp is going to struggle pulling a rider and luggage around I would have thought

Yeah, I suppose you have to add context to that. Lower power for little lanes, green lanes, singletrack roads etc might not feel so weedy. It’s the motorway to get to that from middle England which I guess might suck a little. 😊

I like bimbling though. Not bothered about barreling along at 80-90.
I used to have a Z900 and at the same time, a Vespa PK50, and the vespa was ridiculously slow in comparison, but I actually really enjoyed riding it.

Bloke down the road from me has one painted military style. Says it is the slowest and most fun bike he’s had. I see him going round twos up, so it’s not completely feeble.

Big itchy boots fan. They look great and perfect for overlanding. Low tech too, so easier to get repaired in out of the way places or DIY. One up, mainly on dirt tracks pootling slowly, I think it would be great.

Have a look at a YouTuber called Wiltshire man who has (or had) a Himalayan and does a lot of UK touring on it – NC500 etc.

Personally I wouldn’t have one as a main bike, as I do mainly road miles in UK with the very occasional dirt track foray. My Tiger 900GT is perfect for that and for European 2 up tours (off to northern Spain with Mrs Bloke in a few weeks). I think the Himalayan would be a bit underpowered to do that comfortably.

For your use case it might be great, as above get a test ride!

I considered one, but decided that it’s just a bit too weedy, whilst not being particularly light. I ended up going for a NC750X.
If I was wanting to do as you describe, I’d be following the Itchyboots lead and getting a CRF300. That seems like a better choice by every metric.

My BiL had a Royal Enfield.
He rode it less than 10 times and sold it.
He described it as hugely underwhelming and was left wondering why he bought it.

Yeah, the CR-F300L is a better choice. Much more capable & refined everywhere than the Himalayan.
I had an RE500 in India many moons ago. It made sense there, not so much here.

Yeah, the CR-F300L is a better choice. Much more capable & refined

I like fatbikes and rigid steel bikes so refined isn’t always at the top of my list 😂

I think Harold might have other ideas?
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Didn’t Itchy Boots swap to Honda’s after having to leave her Himalayan somewhere due to the pandemic?

Peru I think? That was her second Himalayan before switching to Hondas.

People who own Himalayans (including Norally) are keen to pronounce it ‘Him-arl-ee-an’ not ‘Him-a-lay-an’.

The former being how Indians and Nepalese say it apparently. The rest of us have been saying it wrong forever!

Oooh a major birthday motorbike purchase. Nice.

The Himalayan oozes character and looks the business. But 24hp, that’s not far off what I had on my Kawasaki ar125 once I’d deresticteed it back in 1988 (after passing my test). No way would I even consider that now, unless you are moving to deepest darkest Peru and never going near tarmac ever again. If you are, then a cub 90 is probably a better bet.

I’ve had quite a few Hondas and they have all been absolutely brilliant and faultless. So CRF300 rally all day long. Years ago I had the 750 Africa twin and then the yam tenere 750, both of which I absolutely loved, but I think the CRF300 looks much better than either of those, that’s a great looking bike. Nothing like the Himalayan though.

If you are after the classic look rally adventure bike, scratch that itch for a year as nothing else will do, then buy the Honda.

https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/range/adventure/crf300-rally/overview.html

Edit: just saw you’re riding a suzi GSX, they are bombproof and really lovely motors, used to commute into central London on a gsxf, which IIRC was using a detuned gsxr motor – really nice.

I think Harold might have other ideas

😂

Me too!

just saw you’re riding a suzi GSX, they are bombproof and really lovely motors, used to commute into central London on a gsxf,

I had that before actually. A 1982 gsx400f 👌

Guy at work has one, swapped from a bonneville, seems to like it. IMHO if you want a RE a Honda isn’t going to scratch that itch being somewhat more refined etc, so get the Himalaya then! (TBF I do ride some fairly less common bikes 2 Honda cubs, a 883 sportster and a bantam so a little biased).

Review here:

https://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=51937&start=10

A mate was a test rider for RE. Wasn’t impressed! Underpowered & crap quality apparently 🤷‍♂️.

I live right next to a Royal Enfield dealer and the bikes look great in the flesh so I’ve spent lots of time considering them. I prefer the Scram to the Himalayan I think.

If you can get to Manhattan Motorcycles in Sheffield they’ve got a fleet of demo bikes available at short notice.

I’d much prefer the CRF 300 Really though.

I’ve not got one, but I have a meteor with a similar engine and build quality as me anything.

There’s a new one on the way though allegedly 40hp and water cooling.

Saw some up close at a show last summer.
I thought they looked dull,agricultural and roughly finished.
As if some sixth formers had had a go at a design project, and ran out of time.
😉🤣🙃

Saw some up close at a show last summer.
I thought they looked dull,agricultural and roughly finished.

I think that’s what I like about them. 😊
Really not a fan of virtually any modern bikes I can think of.

Not keen on that Honda 300 mentioned above, though I’m sure it’s a fantastic riding bike.

Most modern bikes look like they’re all designed in some Cad program with angled bits everywhere looking like transformer wasps, everything fitting together like Tetris and no gaps.

I love the look of that Himalayan up there.
It looks like a motorcycle.
Very utilitarian and pared back.
No rider modes or any of that carp (though it does have ABS I believe).
Just an engine, a seat and 2 wheels.
👌

People do customs too

I think ABS is a legal requirement in UK and Europe now.  I bet the Indian market REs don’t have it. Hell, they probably have drum brakes and pop out flag indicators!

I get what you mean about an honest, pared back, functional motorcycle though. One that can be fixed by a  village blacksmith in Tibet or the Mekong delta!

That custom up there is exactly the sort of nonsense I’ve been into over the past few decades.
Great as long as you never see rain, want to carry anything or need some of the basic functions of a bike.
I’ve had a big naked retro, raucous supermoto, quirky little sports bike, ancient classics , a lovely rumbly Ducati. They all looked and sounded great, but did hundreds rather than thousands of miles a year, simply because they were all honestly a bit shite and not much fun to ride.
Now, I have a boring commuter bike and it’s by far the most fun bike I’ve had, paradoxically. My riding confidence has markedly improved since getting it, and I’d happily jump on and ride hundreds of miles safe in the knowledge I’ll be comfy, sipping fuel and extremely unlikely to break down.
Having my bits and bobs easily at hand in the frunk is an added bonus which I’d now hate to give up.

People complaining about the finish and build quality on a Royal Enfield need to be fair and compare them to similarly priced bikes. The Chinese stuff from the likes of Mutt isn’t in the same league really. I really wanted a Mutt until a few mates bought them and I realised that they’re the motorcycle equivalent of a Halfords BSO.

There’s nothing else this good in the price range with similar running costs. Double your money and it’s easy to scoff at the underpowered Indian.

I know the CRF300 isn’t really comparable to a retro, throwback bike but it would be much more suitable for the kind of riding I’d like to do. That’s what’s stopped me from popping around the corner and buying a Meteor or a Scram.

What I really, really want is a Ducati Desert Sled but the cost of entry is a bit high for a first bike. I’ll probably start smaller.

Id sooner a CRF300, the crf250l has been around 10 years or so, so mechanics know how it works and honda parts easy to come by.
In thailand its been one of the few dual purpose machines that are legally available, so there must be lots of accessories to beef them up for the jungle.

id be looking for a kawasaki klx450, or suchlike, dont know if theyre available here or prices

Double your money and it’s easy to scoff at the underpowered Indian.

This – I was going to suggest a CCM as a friend has one and it’s a beautiful bike but then I checked the prices and it’s over double a RE.

There’s a really good Himalayan and Scram Facebook group.
I like that it’s the sort of characterful bike that has meets and stuff 😊

id be looking for a kawasaki klx450, or suchlike, dont know if theyre available here or prices

Don’t think you can get them in the UK. None for sale and no UK reviews available.

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ? Loads of custom options, IIRC you can get a model with spoked wheels, character classic looking naked bike

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ?

Kind of, but discount any of them on price.
I’m generally pretty skint and the thing I liked about the Himalayan was its relatively low price.

It seems crazy that you can get a brand new Himalayan for less than I bought an eeb for. I’m looking at used bikes, not brand new.

I also think those types of bikes are probably maybe less capable off road. More a street bike with chunky tyres.
They’re maybe more of a look, thing (although I know they do get ridden off road)

Ah yes, price 5k new, lots less second hand and plenty hardly used to choose from.

Even brand new the Himalayan is good value compared to an eMtb, esp the top spec ones like the Spesh s-works models, crazy. How did that happen?

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ? Loads of custom options, IIRC you can get a model with spoked wheels, character classic looking naked bike

you mean like mine. 😉

Untitled by eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

Love it 👍

It’s lovely that Triumph Scrambler, but to be fair, if I put a high exhaust and chunky tyres on my GSX it wouldn’t be that far off.

It’s still a pretty chunky and low-slung bike with fairly short travel.
Nice, but a different kettle.

Whatever bike I get would have a rack like this ideally…

Going to test ride one today so we’ll see if it puts me off it.

I know it’ll be slow, but whether that’ll matter much to me is yet to be seen. 😊

There was talk of it having the 650 engine which might be worth waiting for?

If I was wanting to do as you describe, I’d be following the Itchyboots lead and getting a CRF300. That seems like a better choice by every metric.

They’re basically the same power, just the RE does it at half the RPM, which is no bad thing. The Himalayan is carrying an extra 50kg though.

Objectively neither looks like a good bike. Just that the Himalayan set’s it’s expectation lower (it’s a utilitarian bike for riding on unsealed roads), whereas the CRF is playing dressup as an enduro/rally bike, even compared to a WR250R the Yamaha has 20kg less weight and 50% more power (and that’s not comparing it against real CRF/WRF’s).

There was talk of it having the 650 engine which might be worth waiting for?

Been rumored for a while. I’m not sure it’ll happen, the 650 would be a big, wide, easily damaged, engine to try and engineer into a frame. And still only makes ~43Hp. There’s a 450cc/40Hp single in the works though which could make it a better long legged adventure bike with enough grunt for the hills.

I think CTXP on the Revzilla YouTube channel did a comparison/evaluation of the Himalaya last year, taking it up/over/through some decent terrain. I _think_ they said it was ok, but a bit underpowered for the weight, but don’t quote me on that.

Edit: found it

My only issue with the Royal Enfields is when you need to try and overtake anything. The meteor has 20bhp Vs 24 for the Himalayan and for general riding it’s enough, I’d say it’s as quick as my Kuga up to 70mph.

But if someone is doing 50 in a 60 and you’re running late, you need a bit old gap in the oncoming traffic to get past.

Other than that it’s very good, even on the motorway it’ll happily sit at 70ish for hours.